Against a crisp white backdrop, an Ontario designer layers in low-cost style and punches of color

Kathy Monkman's daughter Helen describes her mother's white-on-white town house in Ottawa as "kind of like living on a cloud." For this self-taught faux artist and teacher, it's a matter of preference. "I just like white," Kathy says. "It lifts my spirits—my daughters joke that I can't think unless I'm in an all white room."

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Something else that lifts Kathy's spirits is a good bargain. No slave to trends, she has a house filled with things that have a history. Her look starts with decluttering, then slowly reintroducing objects in ways that create impact through shape or color. Against a serene white background, inherited pieces, hand-me-downs and roadside finds all get new lives. "Hints of color—like inexpensive throw pillows and fresh flowers—are the first thing you notice in a room," she says, "and they perk up the look in a controlled fashion."

"I'm very visual and am stimulated by color, but too much of it can be jarring," Kathy says. Her solution is accessories that change with the seasons: pink and lime-green in summer, warm pumpkin tones for fall, whites in the winter and periwinkle-blue in spring. "Sometimes I get a little thing for red," she says. "I like having things look a certain way at a certain time."

A lifelong bargain hunter and renovator, Kathy is always on the lookout for a good deal. "I prefer shopping at used-goods stores, even for clothes," she says. "You've got years of variety, not just what's trendy for one season." In Kathy's home, disparate furniture styles blend with new upholstery or throws. Since she teaches a class in making furniture from twigs, her chandeliers and table bases often wind up in her decor. "It doesn't get more economical than that," she says. And a coat of paint or a faux finish gives accessories continuity with a touch of character. Her favorite finish is crackling: "It's always a such surprise the next day to see what you've got," she says. Kathy also gave her parquet floors a makeover, toning them down with a vigorous sanding and whitewashing.

For windows, she uses treatments that are always simple, unfussy and just enough for privacy. Rugs are inexpensive sisal or grasscloth. And for storage, she prefers flower pots to baskets which are great for holding everything from kitchen utensils to books and rolls of fabric. "I like things reasonably organized," Kathy says, "and containers are a good way to do that."

In the long run, instead of buying everything new, be creative and use what you have. "There's a reason you got it in the first place," says Kathy, "so why start from scratch?

Up Close with Kathy
What inspires you?
Most things. I'm very visual.

What do you like most about decorating with white?
I love having my environment bright. For me, it's peaceful and pure.

How do you keep things interesting with accents or collectibles?
I like changing out colors to reflect seasons, and regrouping objects on display.

Do the changing seasons influence your style?
Yes. There's a feeling that comes with the way the sunlight changes, and for me it's reflected in the colors I crave having around me.

What six items can't you live without?
I like change, so I don't get very attached to things. I do need my coffee pot, my Lurex sheets, my VCR for movies, paints and fabrics, books and flowers.

What are your pet peeves?
I don't like dramatic, wasteful renovations, where people tear everything out and redo. Better to repaint or resurface.

Which is your favorite room?
My living room because of the view into the little patio.

Where do you find most of your bargain items?
Thrift stores, even by the roadside. I can't believe all the things I find that still have hope.

What is your best DIY trick?
Paint. I wouldn't touch fine or very old furniture, but everything else is fair game.

The White Touch
Living with all-white is anything but dull or difficult, says Kathy, who offers some tips for keeping things lively and people-friendly.

Use lots of textures. Varying surfaces will create interesting shadows that will change as the room's light evolves.

Combine shades of white. Visit a paint store to see just how many there are to choose from. Combining shades will create a subtle and intriguing palette.

Let thick fabrics do the hiding. White fabrics that are too thin will reveal the colors and patterns of the upholstery below.

Use color to create a focal point. I'm inspired by the seasons, but you might check your wardrobe to see what colors you gravitate to.

Keep things washable. The point isn't to have a room that's pristine and untouchable, which it will be—if things won't stand up to daily use.

You Can Do It!
Whitewash a planter

Apply a base coat of primer to the exterior and top 5 inches of the interior of a terra-cotta planter. Let dry. Apply another coat. Let dry.

Use a dry brush technique to create texture and sheen. Load a dry brush with undiluted pearlized white acrylic paint and drag it over patches of the exterior surface of the pot. Let dry.

Lightly sand a few patches of the surface of the pot.

Finish the pot with two coats of urethane sealer, letting sealer dry between coats.